"Are you the Uchiha predecessor, Madara Uchiha?"
Itachi raised his head to look at him, his Sharingan unconsciously evolving into the three-tomoe form.
Madara Uchiha did the same.
Two pairs of three-tomoe Sharingan stared at each other in silence.
After a long pause, Itachi slowly spoke, "Your ocular power is not as strong as I imagined."
Madara's smile froze for a moment.
"Hahaha!"
Hashirama Senju clutched his waist, laughing heartily to the sky.
"Interesting, too interesting."
"Hmph!"
Madara scoffed coldly, "Not as strong as you imagined? Boy, you're arrogant. Soon, I'll show you my true power."
"Let's see what happens soon!"
A mummified figure appeared beside them.
It was the Second Tsuchikage, Mū!
Madara glanced at him and coldly asked, "So, you're the bug hiding in the shadows controlling me?"
"I'm Orochimaru!" Mū replied with a slight smile. "I'm the disciple of Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was a student of Tobirama Senju."
"Hmph!"
Upon hearing this, Madara became even more displeased.
A disciple of Tobirama Senju! Yet another reason to kill him!
Hashirama sighed and said, "Orochimaru, is it? You've summoned me again. Sigh, the dead shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the living."
He was genuinely speechless.
Why was he always being dragged back?
He couldn't even rest in peace after death.
"You're still as rigid as ever, Hashirama!"
Madara first mocked Hashirama, then turned to Mū. "That Orochimaru fellow, what have you done to my body?"
Mū replied calmly, "I understand the power of the Uchiha, so I made certain modifications to your body, enhancing your strength beyond your peak."
Madara's expression turned even colder, his gaze towards Mū filled with killing intent. "My peak? Have you ever seen my peak, you bug?"
"You're about to witness it!"
Mū gestured towards the battlefield below.
"Hmph!"
Madara snorted, lowering his head to look at the ninja army below, his eyes filled with disdain.
"Ōnoki, that little brat!"
"Uchiha!"
"And are these the elites of the other ninja villages?"
"Not bad, they're worthy of me making a move."
Madara's gaze swept over the members of the Akatsuki organization, then he slowly began walking towards the gathered ninja forces.
"Wait, Madara!"
Hashirama shouted, "Don't create more bloodshed."
Madara didn't even turn around.
"Lord Hashirama, soon you'll be fighting too."
Mū looked at Hashirama with a slight smile.
Hashirama glared at Mū and asked, "What have you done to our bodies?"
He could also feel that something was wrong with his body.
But due to the Edo Tensei technique, he couldn't fully investigate.
Mū smiled proudly and said, "I fused part of the Uchiha and Senju powers together. Even in your Edo Tensei forms, your strength will not be less than during your peak—perhaps even surpassing it."
Like Madara, Hashirama didn't care at all!
Peak?
Had they ever truly seen his peak?
Moreover, simply combining the powers of both clans couldn't bring him to his full potential.
After all, Hashirama's true trump card was Sage Mode.
Even if you combined the Uchiha and Senju powers, could you combine them with Sage Mode?
Ridiculous!
Orochimaru didn't explain further. Instead, he began forming hand seals.
"Hmm?"
Hashirama moved his arms and legs a bit, frowning. "I'm different from Madara, right?"
"Of course!"
Orochimaru smiled and said, "As for Madara, I've given him full freedom. But you..."
Hashirama coldly said, "You're not letting me be fully free, are you?"
"Correct!"
Orochimaru responded openly, "I'm worried that if I give you complete freedom, you'd kill me instantly. You might even stop Madara, so I'll keep you under control for now!"
Hashirama remained silent, watching Madara.
Madara leaped off the hill, heading straight for the allied ninja forces.
"Attack!"
Ōnoki and Itachi simultaneously gave the command.
The first one to charge was Hidan.
He swung his massive scythe with a crazed grin, slashing fiercely at Madara.
"Madara Uchiha? Shura of Ninja World? Let me see for myself!"
Splash!
Blood sprayed in an instant.
But it wasn't Madara's blood—it was Hidan's!
As Madara and Hidan passed each other, a massive wound appeared on Hidan's body.
"So fast!"
Hidan didn't seem afraid, instead grinning with excitement.
This was a clear sign to all the warriors present.
This was the real Madara Uchiha!
Who else could wound Hidan so severely with a single strike?
Boom!
Madara had already thrown himself into the midst of the ninja army, beginning a brutal massacre!
What elites?
What special forces?
In front of Madara Uchiha, they were mere ants!
"Fire Style!"
A ninja launched a Fire Style jutsu towards Madara.
Without even looking, Madara charged forward, crashing into the ninja and crushing his body on impact.
Immediately after, more ninjas swung their weapons and charged.
Madara's Sharingan turned blood-red, capturing every movement around him with precision. He dodged attacks with minimal effort and killed with the least motion possible.
"This guy!"
Itachi's face changed slightly.
This fighting style—it resembled Uchiha Shisui's!
"Use ninjutsu!"
Seeing their comrades being taken down one by one, Ōnoki couldn't hold back and shouted.
"Water Style!"
"Earth Style!"
A large group of ninjas gathered and unleashed their combined ninjutsu.
Madara merely glanced at them before forming hand seals of his own.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Boom!
The Fire Style collided with the Water and Earth Style jutsus.
Over a hundred elite ninjas were battling Madara alone.
The outcome was clear from the start.
Swish!
As the clash subsided, Madara's figure had already plunged back into the crowd.
Like a tiger among sheep, he resumed his slaughter.
"Move in!"
At Itachi's command, Kakuzu and the others joined the battle.
Swish!
Boom!
A flash of light forced even Madara to retreat.
The next wave of attacks came swiftly, aimed precisely at his retreat path, forcing him to take the battle seriously. Only then did he manage to avoid the blows.
Madara looked up, surprised.
Two puppets stood in his path.
"Puppets?"
"Exactly!"
Sasori revealed the face of the young man, staring intensely at Madara Uchiha.
You could feel his tension.
It wasn't surprising, though.
A person's reputation casts a long shadow!
Madara Uchiha, the Shura of the Ninja World, was incredibly famous.
Since recorded history, aside from Hashirama Senju, there wasn't a single person who could match him.
To create a ninja village, one must be a great ninja.
However, even the founders of the other four villages seemed weak in comparison to Madara Uchiha.
"Impressive techniques!" Madara glanced at the puppets, then at Sasori, and said, "You're pretty good too!"
"Getting ahead of yourself!"
At that moment, more than ten figures launched an attack.
Madara raised a hand to block one of them.
That stiff figure made Madara realize something once again.
"More puppets?"
Madara was stunned.
How could there be so many puppets?
Had he been dead for so long that the ninja world had changed this much?
Why else would there be so many puppets all of a sudden?
Puppet masters were usually found in the Hidden Sand Village!
However, mastering puppetry was extremely difficult.
During Madara's time, there were powerful puppets, but they were rare.
He had just been resurrected through Edo Tensei, and already encountered two puppet masters worthy of the title.
It was unexpected!
"Hmph!"
Sasori snorted coldly, looking at the white puppets that had appeared not far away.
They were the last technique of Elder Chiyo... the masterpieces of the ancestor of puppetry, Monzaemon. These ten puppets, called the "Ten Fingers," were legendary.
Sasori had coveted them for a long time.
They were a different kind of puppet from his own.
If he could get his hands on them, Sasori was sure that his puppet techniques would advance further.
But!
Despite Elder Chiyo claiming that he was her most precious grandson, she never mentioned giving him those ten puppets!
In truth...
Chiyo felt conflicted.
She really didn't care much about the puppets.
Compared to her grandson, what were some puppets?
But!
She couldn't give them to him.
Sasori was too disobedient. She needed him to become a true human, and in that process, if Sasori kept resisting, she could still use force.
Once she handed over the "Ten Fingers," what leverage would she have against Sasori?
"Yah-ho!"
Suddenly!
A loud shout echoed.
A massive, blood-red scythe came crashing down at Madara.
"Whoosh!"
Madara swiftly stepped back, frowning as he glanced at the person.
Hidan!
The man he had just killed.
Madara didn't even spare him a second glance.
Who would have thought, Hidan wasn't dead.
How was that possible?
Madara had clearly struck him down with a powerful blow.
Behind Hidan, Kakuzu approached slowly, followed by four of his masked creatures.
Not five!
Facing a ninja like Madara, Kakuzu felt uneasy, so he kept one hidden away for protection.
But!
Even with just four of the masked creatures, Madara's gaze lingered for a brief moment.
Further away, there was Uchiha Itachi.
In the sky, Ōnoki and Gaara hovered.
"Interesting!"
Madara chuckled softly and said, "I didn't expect that I'd face so many interesting opponents right after being resurrected. Come on, tell me your names, boys!"
"Don't bother!"
Hidan grinned. "You're dead anyway!"
Yah-ho!
With another shout, he charged forward.
"Haha, good! Let's dance!"
Madara's Sharingan glowed ominously as he charged back.
"Boom!"
In an instant, Hidan was sent flying once again.
It was over in a second!
The gap between them was like night and day.
"Pathetic!"
Sasori scoffed, waving his hands as the Fourth Kazekage and the Third Kazekage puppets lunged at Madara.
Both wielded a variety of weapons.
The assault was so dense it left no room for escape!
"What kind of puppets are these?"
Even Madara was surprised. "These puppets use... Magnet Release?"
Magnet Release was a famous and powerful ninja technique.
To see it used by puppets was enough to astonish Madara.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Despite the relentless barrage, Madara seemed completely at ease.
"I'll take it from here!"
Chiyo, seeing this, also sent her puppets into the fray.
Still, they had no effect on Madara.
In fact, Madara even had time to counterattack, and each strike was precise.
If not for Sasori's quick reactions, his two powerful puppets would've been destroyed.
After watching for a while, Kakuzu finally made his move.
His masked creatures launched ninjutsu at Madara.
This time, even Madara began to feel the pressure.
Sasori, Chiyo, and Kakuzu were all Kage-level ninjas.
But they weren't much of a threat.
Hidan, rushing around like a maniac, wasn't much of an issue either.
But on the sidelines, Ōnoki, Gaara, and Itachi watched Madara closely, constantly adding to the pressure.
Further away, more ninjas stood ready to strike at any moment.
Including Deidara, who, despite losing most of his clay, still had one final explosion left in him.
"Who would've thought, I've only been dead for a few decades, and the ninja world has changed this much!"
Madara chuckled coldly, though flames seemed to burn in his eyes.
Headquarters.
"It's him! It really is Madara Uchiha," Yamanaka Inoichi shouted loudly.
A tall man stood up and walked over to Mabui, saying, "Mabui, prepare the Heavenly Transfer Technique. I'll use the Flying Thunder God Technique to assist you. Don't hesitate, don't worry, I won't let them die."
"Understood, Commander!"
During war, Mabui wouldn't question Shikaku's orders, though she was deeply concerned.
Shikaku turned to look at the Raikage, Mizukage, and Kazekage. "This time, you three will go!"
"Commander, if Madara Uchiha is involved, let me join as well!" Mifune said solemnly.
Although a samurai, Mifune's strength was formidable.
While perhaps not quite on par with the Kage, he was still one of the top fighters in the ninja world.
"No, you'll stay with Kakashi."
Shikaku decisively said, "Inoichi is searching for more targets. Once found, you will go deal with them."
Hearing this, Mifune no longer insisted.
Kakashi remained silent throughout.
Soon, the three Kage stepped onto the platform.
"Heavenly Transfer Technique!"
In the blink of an eye, Mabui activated the jutsu.
Shikaku threw a kunai imbued with the Flying Thunder God Technique into the portal, then placed his hand on Mabui's shoulder.
"Crackle!"
In an instant, the three Kage vanished.
Mabui, surprised, asked, "That kunai…"
"Yes, I made a slight adjustment to it," Shikaku smiled. "The spatial energy inside it forms a protective membrane around the three Kage, keeping them safe until the energy runs out. Of course, by then, they'll already be on the battlefield."
Mabui remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Commander, why did you put your hand on my shoulder?"
Shikaku looked at his hand, then quickly pulled it back, smiling awkwardly. "Uh, I guess it was an unconscious action."
Mabui rolled her eyes.
Nara Shikaku sighed helplessly.
Enough already.
(End of chapter)